Lamp for motor vehicles



June 15 1926. 1,589,128

C. DQERING ET AL LAMP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed August 22, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 2? 2716* f9 .ad

June 15 1926.

\ 1,589,128 C. DOERING ET AL LAMP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed August 22,1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DOERING AND HENRY'H. DOEBING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TODOERING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

LAMP FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed August 22, 1923. Serial No. 658,788.

Our invention relates to lamps or spotlights adapted' to be securedbeneath the body'of the vehicle, either fore or aft, as

for example to the drip-pan beneath the motor so as to be disposed in aplane between the bottom of the body and the axle of the running gear inorder that a proper lighting of the roadway and to a suitable extent maybe obtained without, however, presenting the objectionable glarefrequently encountered with lamps as heretofore arranged and mounted.

"Another object of our invention is to provide a lamp whereby the extentof forward projection of the light-rays may be controlled so thatblinding or confusion of approaching pedestrians or drivers will not bepossible, while at the same time permitting a lightingof the roadway toan extent sufficient to enable proper and safe driving. A further objectof the invention is to provide a lamp provided with means whereby aproper focusing or adjustment of the lamp relative to the reflector andthe lens of the lamp may be efiected and the adjusted position orregulation of the bulb of the lamp maintained; such adjustment beingaccomplished without a dismantling or need for especial implements or ascrew-driver. The various objects and advantages of our invention, aswell as the advantages inherent in the construction, will all be morereadily comprehended from the detailed description of the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and sectionalview of the front end of'a motor driven vehicle with portions brokenaway to illustrate the application of our lamp.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of our improved lamp disclosed inFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of our improved lamp with portions broken away.

Figure 1 is a detail sectional-view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of our invention.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5looking in the direction of the arrows, with portions broken away. 7

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

The purpose of our invention is to proable hangers 16 whose free endsare preferably bent at right angles and slotted, as indicated at' 17 inFigure 3, adapted to be secured to the forward side of the drip-pan bymeans of sm'all bolts or otherwise. The lower ends of the hangers 16 arein turn pivotally connected, by means of bolts 18 which pass through thesides 19 at the forward end of a suitable splash-casing or shield 20;the bolts 18 being provided with suitable nuts whereby to efiect aclamping I relation between the hangers or arms 16 and the splash-casingor shield 20 and the proper angularity or adjusted position of theshield maintained.

The shield 20 preferably consists of suitable sheet metal having thelower horizontally disposed portion 21 provided with the upwardly bentside flanges 19 and a vertical- 1y disposed forward side 22, which maybe integral with portion .21, and which is also preferably provided withrearwardly disposed side fianges 23.

The upwardly disposed wall 22 of the splash-casing 20 is provided with asuitable opening and the wall about the opening formed with a rearwardlycurled flange 24 which is adapted to receive a portion ofthe split-ringor clamping member 25which is semi-circular in cross-sectidn-"ixs shownin Figure 1. The clamping ring 25 in turn isis usual, not only is firmlyheld in the rear wardly curled flange 24 of the wall 22 of thesplash-shield 20, but also firmly clamps the spotlight in place.

The shell or casing 28 of the spotlight 1s provided with the usual hubor stem portion 29 through which the lead line, indicated at 30, extendsand which also receives the bulb-holding socket member which 1s held inplace by the usual hard'rubber ferrule 31; the line or wire 30 leads toa sultable switch mounted on the dash of the vehicle.

The horizontally disposed portion 21 of the splash-casing 20 ispreferably of a length sufiicient to extend slightly beyond the ferrule31- in order to prevent the lamp being splashed with Water or dirt whenthe automobile is being driven; the side flanges 19 and 23 alsoaffording additional protection.

The top of the vertically disposed wall 22 of the splash-casing is shownprovided with a suitable hood or deflector 32 l1av1ng sides 33aperturedto receive a bolt 34 whose threaded end at the opposite side ofthe shield is provided with suitable washers and butterfly nut as at 35whereby to eflect proper clamping relation; the upper end of the wall 22of the splash-casing being shown curled upon itself to provide asuitable channel for the bolt as shown at 36 in Figure 2; this curledportion of the casing also providing suitable rigidity to the upper partof the construction. As is apparent from the construction as shown inFigure 2, the hood or deflector 32 is arranged to swing through the arcof a vertically disposed trolled or deflected.

circle toward and away from the lens 27, which enables the light-rays tobe con- With this construction it is also apparcut. that the lamp willbe placed closer to the roadway and afford a proper lighting forward ofthe vehicle without, however, permitting the light-rays'to extend into aplane where they would strike the eyes of a a lpiedestrian ordriver ofan approaching cle.

In order to ermit a pro er positionin of the bulb-of the lamp rel tiveto the r5 flector so as to obtain a proper focusnecessitated by certainconstructions or inaccuracies frequently encountered in bulbs we'provide the lower side -ofthe hub or stem portion 29 with a lip or ridge37, see

Figure 4; and the hub or stem 29 at diametrically opposite points,namely on top and beneath and therefore through the lip 371s providedwith slots 38 and Y39 trans, versely of the hub to receive the rectanguwlarly formed spring clip or wire 40 which -is formed so as to have, thelong sides thereof extend into the inner circumference of the hub orstem 2am engage with the socket member 41-whose forward end receives thebulb of the lamp, while the rear end is referably provided with theferrule 31. T e socket member 41 is preferably provided with a pluralityof circumferenti'a'lly arranged grooves slightly spaced apart to receivethe sides of the spring clip 49 and thereby effect proper holdingrelation to maintain the socket member 41 with its bulb in the adjustedposition; the spring clip 40 and the grooves in'the socket member 41being such as to permit the socket member to be moved lengthwise of thehub 29 by exerting a pulling or pushing force on the ferrule 31.

In Figures 5 to 7, we illustrate a modified form of the invention,wherein a different method of securing the-lamp in place is distype ofcasing generally shown at 28, is

provided with a special shield 42, preferably cylindrical in form, withthe rear end, flared or flanged as at 43 so as to receive the rim of thecasing 28 of the spotlight; the flared flange 43 at the bottom beingprovided with a lug as at 43 adapted to fit rearward of the flange ofthe shell or casing 28 of the spotlight while the upper side of theshield 42 is provided with a spring clip 44 adapted to snap rearward ofthe flange of the shell or casing 28, as clearly shown in Figures 5 and7 thereby holding the shield inplace on the'forward perimeter of theSpotlight. The shield 42, at opposite sides, is shown provided withangular brackets 45 slotted to receive the threaded ends of a transversely disposed rod or bracket member 46, held in place by means ofsuitable'washers and nuts as at 47; while the rod or bracket member 46in turn is provided. with one or more clips 48 shown in the nature ofmetallic loops bent about the rod with the ends arranged parallel andapertured to receive bolts or screws whereby the lamp may be secured atany convenient point beneath the vehicle, as for example to the drip-panof the motor as previously described in connection with the constructionshown in Figure 1. The clips 48 are of such nature that when thefastening screws or-bolts are completely screwed into place, the twoportions 0r sides of the clip will be ,drawn into close relation andthereby firmly grip the rod' 46 and hold the same against rotation inthe clips.

In order to prevent any possibility of glare, we provide the shield 42with a plurality of vanes or deflecting elements 49 preferably arrangedtransversely of the shield 42 in slight arcuate formas shown in Figure 6and extending from the forward end of the shield inward to a ointslightly thrown upwardly to any considerable extent where they wouldencounter the eyes of pedestrians or an approaching driver;

' 49, which, however, will deflect the ra s from their continuous upwardsloping irection.

We have found in practice that materially better results are obtained byemploying a bulb of a certain shade of blue glass, namely a daylightblue whereby a' superior white light is produced which is moreefi'ective in properly lighting a dark or wet roadway; our improved lampand bulb producing a better efiect than is obtainable with the usualwhite lens and bulb.

We have shown certain constructions whereby the improved results areobtained and have described the same in terms employed merely as termsof description and not as, terms of limitation, as structural.

modifications are possible and may be made without, however, departingfrom the spirit of our invention.

What we claim is: Y 7 1. In a lamp of the character described,

-- the combination of a supporting bracket ada ted to be suspendedeneath the body of t e motor driven vehicle, a shield. secured to saidbracket and having an opening therethrough, the wall of the shield aboutsaid opening being flaflged to provide a socket,"

stitute a splash in place;

means secured to said shield at the forward side thereof to control thelight-rays, with a lamp-housing seatable in the socket about the openingin said shield, and means for rcmovably clamping said lamp-housing inplace. a

2. In combination with a lamp having ashell or housing, a bracket forsuspending the lamp in place, a supporting shield secured to the bracketand comprising a horizontally disposed bottom plate portion and anupwardly disposed plate ortion integral with the forward edge of t ebottom portion, the upwardl -disposed portion being provided with a an ethe forward edge 0 tractible means secured about the flanged openingwhereby. the shell of the lamp is removably clamped in the opening insaid supporting shield.

3; In a lamp of the character described, the combination with a spotht,of a supporting angular late, one si e whereof is disposed vertica y andprovided with an openin to receive the lens-holding perimeter o thespot-1i ht, contractible means mounted about sai opening whereby thespot-light is removably clamped in place, t e other side of the latebein disposed horizontally beneath t e s ot-lig t to conplate, aeflector member adjustably secure angular plate, and a bracket ada tedto be secured to the-body of a motor iven vehicle for/suspending thesupporting plate CHARLES DOERING. -HENRY H, DOERING.

opemng to receive said lamp, and conto the upper end of the

